Mega Challenge: Escape.

Following up on the idea of how ideas form/gel/grow, a random series of how my brain operates.

The photo group I play with, Dgrin, has a mega challenge every so often, for winners of previous challenges. I was a winner last month with Layla’s high key photo, so when the theme ESCAPE was presented, I needed to start thinking.

"If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain. If you’re not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain. If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape. I’m the lady you’ve looked for, write to me, and escape.

HOW to illustrate? I read the lyrics over and over. We had a kiddie pool with a palm tree, could I find the Personal Columns in the paper any longer? Pose someone at the edge with a drink, a marker? I even Googled to find the closest bar called O’Malley’s… Sadly too far…. (sorry for the ear worm, folks!)

Hmmm. What else? There is that silly little cartoon that goes around on Facebook, with the escape key having feet and running away from the keyboard….

I have a great wooden fence and a lawn I don’t mind destroying. Dig a hole under it? All I would need is a chain, a dirty dog bone, a food bowl, a pile of dirt off to the side telling the story of Fido…

But. I don’t have a dog. Or a collar, dog bone or chain. ( I DO have a big steel bowl, because the cats can’t tilt the water over in it…) Scratch THAT idea too…

Sticking with the animal idea for a bit, the silly cat is always thinking he can make a run for it when we open the door. I remembered a funny photo I had taken years ago, but didn’t think I could convince a cat to follow directions. (I really AM that smart)Hamish the Bad

A few days in to the challenge, a light bulb moment. Books! Escape into a book.Escape into a book, version 1

Played with it for a few nights, but it never quite wowed me— I don’t have the right lighting set up for it.

Back to the cat idea. Originally, I thought that the cat would be looking out, and I chose the front door, because I didn’t care for the old security sticker and bottom white panel of the rear door.

. Dreaming of escape.

Then I decided to see what would happen if I propped the door open an inch or so.

THIS silly animal wouldn’t try to bust out, but if I held it open, he was more than willing to vacate the premises.

I’ll leave if you hold the door.

Finally, I squatted down to his level and begged him to come out. No go. Shot it anyway, and THIS is the result.

The coast is clear.

I LOVE it. The black and white processing, the peeling Brinks sticker, even the reflected spindles of the deck looking like bars. And the one eye, checking to see if the coast is clear!